A poet among ducks
by Meme-Ann
Summary: Complete!!Dean Portman has been in love with the editor of the Eden Hall Globe since freshmen year. When he finally lands his brainy beauty through his talent for writing poetry, it's not all poems and roses.
1. Enjoying The Quiet And Samantha Wyatt

Dean Portman sat at his student issue desk enjoying the peacefulness of being alone in his dorm room. He didn't know where Fulton was the other Bash Brother had taken off after practice and hadn't returned since. But that didn't bother him though because he loved getting some peace and quiet. No one knew Portman liked the silence, like being by himself, that he didn't mind not having his stereo blasting Ozzy 24/7. His favorite pen glided across his notebook in his large and remarkably neat writing. He loved that pen and notebook his grandmother gave them to him, when received the scholarship to Eden Hall. The pen had been his grandfather's, he'd had it all Portman's life, it had always been protruding from the pocket of his grandfather's shirt and the notebook was leather bound and the initials D.E.P. (Dean Erik Portman) engraved in the front. The sound of Fulton's heavy combat boots on the corridor floor shattered the noiselessness. Portman quickly grabbed the remote to his radio and turned the Disturbed c.d. on full volume. He did have a reputation to up hold after all.  
  
"What you doin' dude?" Fulton approached the desk and Portman shoved his notebook in the desk draw swiftly before he could see it  
  
"Homework." Portman lied  
  
"Well put it away, we gotta get down to quad they're staring the film in fifteen minutes."  
  
"What are they playin' again?"  
  
"The shining."  
  
"Fine let's go."  
  
The Bash Brothers walked down to the courtyard and found where the rest of the Ducks were seated. Luis was cuddled up on a blanket with his girlfriend Emily, Banks was sitting in a lawn chair, his girl Carly resting her back against his shins and his head resting on the top of her head. Charlie was leaning against a nearby rock with his girlfriend Cat in his lap while Connie and Guy played kissy face despite the fact the movie hadn't stared yet. Portman settled on the grass and stared up and the side of the Library where the movie was going to be projected onto. That's when she walked by him. Samantha Wyatt, she was smart, beautiful and way out of his league. Samantha was the editor of the school paper and student council treasurer and she hated jocks. She thought they were brainless and barbaric, especially hockey players.  
  
"Are you staring at Samantha Wyatt again?" Russ arched his eyebrow noticing the stupid grin on Portman's face.  
  
"No." Portman retorted defensively   
  
Russ glared at him knowingly  
"Go talk to her before the movie starts."  
  
"What do I say to her, my usual lines aren't gonna work on a chick like her."  
  
"Try, Hi cutie I'm the guy that's been in love with you since freshmen year, wanna get a soda." Averman interjected and Portman growled at him. "Or you could try hello."  
"Come one I'll go with you." Fulton offered, as the best friend he figured it was his duty.  
  
The Bash Brothers walked over to where Samantha was standing with her friend Renee Keats and Montana Shurns. Portman stood behind her unmoving for what seemed like an eternity until Fulton pushed him into Samantha's back. She whirled around with slight annoyance in her emerald eyes.  
  
"Oh I'm sorry." Portman managed. When did he become so bashful (no pun intended)  
  
"No it's alright, as long as you're sorry." Samantha smiled  
  
"Can we help you with something?" Renee crossed her arms  
  
"Umm… yeah… I was sitting over there and it… uh accord to me that… we never met before. I'm Dean Portman." He extended his hand  
  
"Samantha Wyatt, Renee Keats and Montana Shurns. Nice to meet you Dean." Samantha shook his hand and then turned back to conversation she was having with her friends.  
  
"Oh that was smooth." Portman scolded himself as he and Fulton rejoined the Ducks  
  
"I take it you blew it?" Kenny asked  
  
"Oh yeah big time."  
  
"Well there's always tomorrow." 


	2. Movies, Burgers and Bimbos

None of the Ducks understood Portman's obsession with Samantha, we was snooty in their minds. Who was she to not like them because they played hockey? No one saw her the way he saw her. His whole life he'd been able to get just about any girl he wanted, he was good looking, fun and loyal. Qualities that had landed him many a girl both in Chicago and at Eden Hall, Sam however was the unobtainable dream. She did however like Carly and Delilah, Carly because she worked on the news paper with her and Delilah because neither was nor would she date an athlete.  
  
"Hey Carly," He called to the dark haired girl across the table  
  
"Hmmm?" Carly lifted her head from Adam's shoulder   
  
"You're friends with Samantha Wyatt right?"  
  
The entire team groaned with a chorus of  
"Not this again." and "Come on Portman."  
  
"Yeah, I'm friends with her and she still doesn't date jocks that hasn't changed." Carly answered  
  
"What kind of guys does she like?"  
  
"Artsy, sensitive guys that write poetry and go to art museums. Not guys like you."  
  
There was the stereotype again, everyone thought it, even his friends thought he was incapable of being intellectual.  
  
"Why don't you move on to a girl that you know you can have man? Sierra Morton has been staring at you, for the last month and a half." Charlie informed him pointing a tall leggy cheerleader with curly red hair and blue eyes.  
  
"Yeah I guess I will."   
  
Portman walked over to Sierra's table, knowing asking her out would be easy, unlike asking out Samantha. All you had to do to get a girl like Sierra was take her to McDonalds and a cheap matinee, and she was happy. Portman had to admit that at first he liked the quickness in which he got girls and how easy it was on his wallet, but by now his tune had changed. He was bored with how easy girls like Sierra were, but for some reason, that didn't stop him from asking them out.  
  
"Hey Portman." Sierra giggled along with the rest of her table.   
  
"How are you doing Sierra?" He asked with such smoothness that Luis would've been in awe.   
  
Sierra tucked a stray curl behind her ear, "I'm good, how about you?"  
  
"I'm good." Portman smiled suavely, "But I'd be great if you'd get a bite to eat with me on Saturday."  
  
"Ok." Sierra replied in her bubbly voice, that made Portman wonder if she actually talked like that, naturally.   
  
"Great." Portman nodded and the began to stand up, "I guess I'll see you on Saturday?"  
  
"I guess so, see ya." Sierra smiled  
  
  
Sierra giggle yet again as she tossed a strand of her strawberry curls over her shoulder. Portman was waiting for everyone in White Castle to turn around and laugh at him from being caught with such a bimbo. She'd completely ruined the movie they had gone to see. XXX (triple X) was not in anyway a comedy, however Sierra had been compelled to laugh every ten seconds, that was when she wasn't telling him how hot Vin Diesel and how she'd leave him for Vin in a second. He'd been almost tempted to ask  
  
"Do you promise?"  
  
Being that he wasn't that big of a jerk (no matter what the rumors said), chewed his fries and ignored all her flaws no matter how major or minor. That was after all the kind of girl Dean Portman was suppose to date just ask anyone. Then of course as if the night was going bad enough in walked Samantha with Ryan Snow. He was in the Drama club and prom committee and just about every other extracurricular activity that wasn't sports related, Ryan was Samantha's type of guy.  
  
Portman sort of slunk down in his seat as Samantha walked by the table. If she saw him with a girl like Sierra any miniscule chance he may have had if the moon was full and it was the 4th Tuesday of the month would be gone. Unfortunately being that he's was a rather large guy and the booth had rather low backs, he wasn't hidden well.  
  
"Why hello Dean." Samantha greeted him cheerily after their meeting days before she'd been wondering what had possessed him to talk to her. It was common knowledge that she hated jocks. But she wasn't a rude girl so that was her turn to say hello  
  
"Uhh hi, Sam… Samantha." Nervous and stuttering what a great way to impress a girl that was already out of your league.  
  
"Well I better get back to my table. Enjoy your date." With that she waltzed away in a flash of brown hair.  
  
"Come one Sierra, let's get going." Portman held out his hand and led to his truck. He walked her to her door and she babbled about the wonderful time she had and how she hoped they do it again. He'd perfected the smile and nod technique on may a cheerleader and Sierra fell for just the way they had. A quick kiss on the cheek and a promise to call and he was free.   
  
"That was the worst date ever." He chuckled shaking his head as he fled the girls dorm. 


	3. Here Comes The Bride

When Portman's alarm went off the next morning he opened his eyes to see Fulton already up and dressed. That was a rarity, normally in it takes the A bomb going off in their room to rouse him from slumber.  
  
"So how'd it go last night?" He sat on the edge of his bed the way Julie had so many times trying to get Guy gossip out of Connie  
  
"Oh dude don't ask." Portman rolled over and faced the wall  
  
"It couldn't have been that bad."  
  
"Oh no?" He rolled back over to face his friend "She laughed through the whole movie."  
  
"Maybe she thought it was funny." Fulton said in duh manner  
  
"It was a Vin Diesel movie!" The larger bash brother exclaimed   
  
"Oh."  
  
"Then the top it all off, it wasn't even like a cute little giggle most of the time. The chick snorted, it was like being out with Mss Piggy! Damn she's annoying."  
  
"So you're not gonna go out with her again huh?"  
  
"I probably will."  
  
"You just said…" Fulton was confused until his roommate cut him off  
  
"That I don't like her and she annoys me. But I gotta be with someone it might as well be Sierra. She likes me and the type of chick I'm suppose to date. Lord knows I'll never be good enough for…"  
  
"Don't say it Portman."  
  
"Samantha"  
  
"Ahhh, you said it. You're like the Samantha Wyatt network man, all Sam all the time. She's not that great."  
  
"Yeah she is."  
  
When the two made it down to breakfast Sierra was seated at the Duck's table. The guys were all eyeing her like a piece of meat, the girls glaring ready to pound her into dead meat.  
  
"Is there any reason you're sitting her?" Cat leaned around Charlie who was practically drooling over the ditzy girl.  
  
"Well, all you guys sit here and eat with your boyfriends, so I'm gonna eat with mine." She bubbled  
  
"When did you start seeing a Duck?" Julie's voice was bitterly cold, she'd hated the red headed cheerleader since Sierra stole Scooter from her in ninth grade.  
"Last night, I'm seeing Portman now."  
  
Connie's face contorted into a disgusted expression.  
"Gee I always thought he had better taste then that."  
  
"Connie." Guy gave her a look of utter shock and she closed her mouth and nestled her head on his shoulder  
  
Portman groaned upon noticing Sierra and debated skipping breakfast to retreat and hide. No ham and cheese omelet was worth spending the next half hour with her. That was ludicrous a big buy like him hiding from a tiny little peanut of a thing like her. So pulled out his chair, turned it around and straddled it, avoiding the looks from the rest of the team.  
  
  
Portman did a pretty good job of eluding Sierra for the rest of the day. The only classes they had together were third period Geometry which he was lucky enough that Charlie had called a team meeting during and sixth period Life Science. Life Science he wasn't getting out of however.   
  
"Class take you're seats." Mrs. Potter stood in front of the class adjusting her coke bottle glasses. The students moaned and settled into their assigned seats eyeing the sheet on the table behind her. It was covering something. "Now I'm sure you all remember last week when I asked you to write down the name of in the class you could see yourself marrying. Anyone who had matching answers have been paired already so… Guy Germaine and Connie Moreau, Carly Epson and Adam Banks, Tara Walker and Billy Gray, Charlie Conway and Cat Rayson, David Crusher and Katie Smith and Luis Mendoza and Emily Boyer. Now the rest of you have been paired at random Delilah Butters and Greg Goldberg, Les Averman and Tiffany Montgomery. Sierra Morton and… Paul Austin and Dean Portman and Samantha Wyatt. Congratulations you are all now married. Please take a spot near your spouse and one person from your group please come up and take your child." The teacher removed the sheet to reveal a large number of sacks of flour. Life couldn't have been better for Portman, not only was he not working with Sierra but he was now married to the girl of his dreams, with a child. Life was great. 


	4. Poems And Baby Names

~* I own nothing in this story, except Samantha Wyatt. The other original characters I stole from my friend Nicci's story Digital Get Down which has been removed and will be replaced with Objection. So yes the Ducks and all Duck related things are not mine so help yourself. Samantha is mine touch her I'll kill you and if you take Nicci's I'll kill you then too, because she's shy and won't. She will however set your house on fire if you're from California.*~  
  
  
  
  
  
After the class was assigned their occupations and the rest of the projected was discussed, the teacher dismissed class early. Samantha waited out side for Portman who came out with Sierra following close behind him.  
  
"Dean." Samantha stopped him with her hand  
  
"Hey Samantha." He smiled at her causing Sierra to make the sour lemon face  
  
"Umm… I thought since we have to work together, we should get started. Can you meet me in the library after school?"  
  
"I have hockey practice until 5."  
  
"That's okay, I've got to edit some articles for the newspaper too I forgot. How about you drop by my dorm afterward or I could go to yours."  
  
"Portman do you think they allow adultery on this project?" Sierra stepped out of the door and clung to his arm.  
  
"Huh?" He raised him eyebrows at the girl  
  
"We're married to other people silly, but we're seeing each other." She had this high pitched almost squeal of a voice.  
  
"Excuse me Sierra, but Dean and I were talking." Samantha said politely to the walking, talking interruption.  
  
"Can we say bitch?" Sierra retorted  
  
"Yes we can, but can you spell it?" Samantha shot back and Portman stifled a laugh "I'll see you later Dean."  
  
"Wow she was rude." The other girl declared as Sam walked away.  
  
  
"Hey Samantha there's another poem from "unknown" in the submissions box." Carly carried over a piece of computer paper with a beautifully typed poem.  
  
" Sometimes I think I'm all alone, there's no one by my side  
Sometimes I wish there was a place, where I could run and hide  
Then at times I feel so good I smile to myself  
Just because I think I should if for nothing else  
Each morning when the sun comes up I open my eyes  
Staring out the window I watch it to continue to rise  
In just that instant I am happy being all alone  
Forgetting all tears I've shed and all the pain I've known  
Sometimes it feels like to much for just one person to take  
Then I think of that sunrise for sanity's sake  
It helps me make it through the long days and lonely nights  
Sometimes that simple sunrise can make everything alright  
So keep that in mind when you're feeling to low to get farther down  
Sometime watching a sunrise can turn your pain around"  
  
"Whoever's writing these is the most soulful person I've ever known. God I wish I could meet him." Samantha closed her eyes and pressed the paper against her heart  
  
"How do you know it's a him?" Carly eyed her curiously  
  
"Because only a guy would be ashamed to put their name on something so heartfelt, gorgeous, spiritual."  
  
"Good theory. I'm off to watch Adam practice. If I don't get there on time he'll leave our sack of flour on the bench unattended, or he'll go to the other extreme and hirer a babysitter."  
  
"Carly could you tell Dean, that I can't work with him tonight? I'll talk to him tomorrow." The pretty editor suddenly wasn't in the mood to deal with the "pigheaded jock", all that was on her mind was the unknown author.  
  
The following day Portman set the sack down on the table by his breakfast tray as the rest of the ducks started to straggle in. Charlie's "baby" already had masking tape wrapped around the middle (Dean knew that was going to be an interesting story), Goldberg's was protruding from the top of his backpack and Banks believe it or not had his bundled in a baby blanket and cradled it in his arms like a real infant.  
  
"Banksie, it's a sack of flour buddy, get a grip." Charlie laughed as Adam made Carly sit down before he'd hand her their "child" and told her to support it's neck.  
  
"Just because you dropped yours down a flight of stairs, doesn't mean I'm not going to take care of my son." Adam defended himself  
  
"You did what to my little girl?" Cat was standing behind her "husband" with her arms crossed, though she was smiling  
  
"Uh sorry honey, I dropped Grace down the stairs."   
  
"Charles…"  
  
Charlie gave her the sad puppy dog face and she folded faster then superman on laundry day.  
  
"Come here Gracie, come see mommy."  
  
"Luis is trying to teach our daughter to salsa dance guys." Emily kissed Luis's cheek to show him she found it cute.  
  
"Goldberg where's our baby?" Delilah sat down next to her spouse  
  
"Oh I put Mickey in here." He reached into his bag and pulled out his flour  
  
"Mickey?" Julie asked  
  
"Yeah, we couldn't decide if we had a boy or girl so it's Mickey, unisex." Del answered  
  
"Ok everyone what are all your babies names?" Kenny humored his friends while Fulton, Russ, Dwayne and Julie were laughing  
  
"Ours is Michelle." Connie held up her and Guy's daughter  
  
"Adam Jonathon Banks Jr." Banks replied like a proud poppa  
  
"Kaylee." Averman was less enthused  
  
"Chelsea Shakira Mendoza." Luis glanced at the table to avoid the looks he knew he'd be getting  
  
"Shakira's Grace's middle name." Cat high fived Emily  
  
"J.D." Portman responded   
  
"J.D. ?"   
  
"Yeah, Sam wanted to name him after her grandfather James, I wanted to name him after me so… J.D."  
  
"Please tell me you didn't name the poor thing James Dean." Russ was laughing so hard his sides hurt and when Portman nodded he laughed even harder  
  
The kid had a dumb name but it bonded Portman to Samantha that was all that mattered. 


	5. Getting To Know Eachother

Samantha was sitting at her desk in the newspaper office reading the latest poem by unknown when Portman walked in carrying James Dean in his arms.  
  
"The softest kiss I long to feel  
And know true love is something real  
Is there such thing as destiny   
A place in time where we're meant to be  
You'd be by my side with just a call  
For that one thing I'd give up it all  
I whisper my deepest loving emotions  
You murmur back undying devotion  
I long to have you by my side  
A love that spans the end of time  
I guess it's just a silly dream  
You will never love me  
But still I long for that kiss  
It would be the sweetest"  
She read aloud.  
  
"Can you imagine why anyone would be ashamed of that?" She asked putting the paper down on her desk  
  
"I don't know, maybe they're just embarrassed or something." Dean dropped his hockey bag off his shoulder and sat down at a table in the center of the room  
  
"Anyway, Hi Dean why aren't you at hockey practice?"  
  
"Orion's giving everyone involved in this marriage project a day off of practice to work on it, I didn't know about it until I just went to the rink. Today was my day so here I am. Wanna hold your son, you haven't seen him all day."  
  
"One second, I have to get something before we get started." Sam got up and crossed the office to fetch the local paper "We need to find a place to live."  
  
"Alrighty, what job were you assigned?"  
  
"I'm a dental hygienist. You?"  
  
"I'm a real-estate agent." He answered.  
  
"Great so we're an upper middle class family, I think we should get a three bedroom house." She unfolded the paper and opened it to the section she was looking for  
  
"Three, why three?" Portman raised his eyebrows and they disappeared under his bandana  
  
"Well incase we have company stay over night, or if we have another child." Samantha's eyes scanned the classifieds  
  
"Another kid, gee it might take me more then one try, but I don't think that'll be a problem."  
  
Sam snorted a laugh that was the type of comment she had expected from a muscle headed hockey player. However she could tell from the tone in his voice that he didn't truly think that highly of himself that he was kidding.  
  
"Did you just laugh?" There was an air of teasing in his voice   
  
"No." Samantha replied hiding her face  
  
"Yes you did I heard it, don't worry I won't tell anyone our super serious editor and chief has a sense of humor."  
  
"It's Editor in Chief. Has anyone ever even told you, how amusing you are?" Samantha let a small smile crease her face  
  
"Amusing no. I've gotten Portman you're gorgeous, Portman you're charming, Portman you're a great kisser. Never Portman you're amusing."  
  
"There you go again just when we're starting to get along, you revert back to pig headed athlete."  
  
"I resent that, my hockey has nothing to do with my pigheadedness." Samantha shook her head at him, the fluorescent light gleaming off her shiny dark hair.  
  
"So… I've been calling you Dean right along but everyone else calls you Portman. Does that bother you?"  
  
Portman shrugged his shoulders while he rocked the "crying baby" which made Samantha giggle.  
  
"Dean's my name, has been since the day I was born, I kinda like hearing someone say it. Sometimes I almost forget what it is, I have no problem being Dean. What about you, can I call you Sammy?"  
  
"Not if you don't want me to be a widow."  
  
"Oh come on Samantha's to long to say over and over. I got it since we're married I'll call you honey."  
  
"No you will not."  
  
"Princess? Baby? Sweet Pea?"  
She shot him a glare that said "no cheesy pet names" and he threw up his hands.  
  
"How about Sam?"  
  
"Sam's fine, I could live with that." Her green eyes sparkled; she had to admit, Dean Portman seemed like a nice enough guy. Still not deep enough for her to ever consider dating, not with Ryan Snow waiting in the wings and the unknown author floating unseen through the Eden Hall halls.  
  
"Well Sam Portman, what do you think of this three bedroom ranch in Duluth?" Her husband pointed to an ad that caught his eye  
  
"How much?"  
  
"125,000 dollars"  
"Wow I never realized how expensive houses were, no wonder my father was always off working for the magazine." Sam leaned further over the table to look at the information  
  
"Your dad was a writer too?"  
  
"Photographer actually, the highest paid in the state."  
  
"I never saw my old man much either."  
  
"Really? What did he do for a living?"  
  
"Before or after prison?" Dean asked flatly  
  
"Oh I'm sorry." Same draw back partially "I shouldn't have asked  
  
"Nah it's alright, unless you got a problem with havin' jail bird in laws." Portman teased  
  
"No, no, of course not." Samantha's face bore a greatly serious _expression and Portman thought she was even more beautiful when worked up.  
  
"Maybe we should write this stuff down, where we're gonna live and stuff." As cute as he thought the look on her face was he changed the subject to ease her mind.  
  
"Do you have any paper? I don't?"  
  
"We're in a newspaper office." Portman looked at her like she had ten heads.  
  
"I don't have the key to the print room, I didn't bring my backpack with me."  
  
"Neither did I, I'll go find some." Dean got up leaving his leather notebook with he always kept with him on the table  
  
"Can't we just take a piece from in here?" Samantha's glance fell on the cover of it  
Dean shot back across the room and slammed his hand down on the cover just as she was about to open it. His heart was pounding and the blood was rushing in his ears.  
  
"Please don't open that."  
Samantha looked at him strangely and was about to ask what the problem was about opening it when they were interrupted by the world's most infuriating creature on the face of the Earth.  
  
"Portman, there you are. I've been looking all over for you." Sierra ran at him full speed and jumped into his arms  
  
"Um, hi Sierra." Samantha greeted with a biting tone  
  
"Samantha. Come on Portman you promised to take me skating today." She bounced in his grasp.  
  
"I guess we're gonna go Sam. I'll talk to ya tomorrow." Dean dropped Sierra to her and she clamped on his hand like vice as they headed to her door. She had seen the way Portman was looking at Sam when she walked in and be damned if she was going to give up her man to a goody two shoes like Samantha Wyatt. 


	6. Wishing On Stars

"Hey Samantha." Carly walked up behind her Editor with a smile  
  
"Oh hi Carly, do you have that interview with Coach Orion done yet?" Sam turned her head, her green eyes baring an unusual sparkle.  
  
"Of course, it was easy I told him if he didn't do it I wouldn't let Adam play." Carly smirked and pulled the article from her binder "So what are you so happy about?"  
  
"Happy, me? I'm not happy. Samantha Wyatt is never happy."  
  
"Oh come on Sam, you've got this stupid gleam in your eyes."  
  
"Ooh a gleam in her eyes, what am I missing?" Delilah stepped out of a near by class room and fell instep with the girls.  
  
"Nothing yet, Sam's not talking." Carly filled in their curly haired friend  
  
"There's nothing to talk about, give it a rest." Samantha sighed as they approached the cafeteria  
  
"You're falling for Portman." Delilah blurted out  
  
"What?" Samantha's head snapped to the left, her voice sounded a little to defensive   
  
"Oh my god you are." Carly's jaw dropped  
  
"No I'm not. He's a muscle bound freak." She actually had to force herself to say those words  
  
"You know not all the Ducks are dumb jocks, my man's very intelligent." Carly tossed her arm around her friends shoulders  
  
"I could never take Adam from you Carly I'd feel bad." Samantha joked  
  
"Bet your ass, I like you to much to have to kill you Sam."  
  
The three entered the lunchroom and Carly went over to the Duck table to tell her boyfriend she was going to eat with Delilah and Samantha.  
  
"There's my sweet Caroline." Banks remarked as she leaned over to kiss his cheek.  
  
"Caroline?" Goldberg cracked  
  
"Stuff it Goldie. I'm gonna eat with Sam and Del, k sweetie?"  
  
"Sure, but you've got to take Junior with you." He handed her the flour and kissed her once more.  
  
Portman watched the other table and studied Samantha's face. Over the past few weeks he'd thought he was melting down the ice wall surrounding her heart.  
  
"So how's things with the wife dude?" Fulton snapped his fingers in front of his best friends face  
"Not to bad, if I can just get rid of the redheaded leach I'd be all set." He groaned as he noticed Sierra coming toward them.  
  
"Hook her up with Griffon, maybe he'll leave Carly alone for a while." Emily pointed to the spoiled blonde Georgian that was leaning over the other table flirting with Carly.  
  
"Banksie looks like he's trying to get a piece of your action." Russ snorted   
  
"I'm on it." Portman got up from the table and crossed the room  
  
"You know he just wants to go over there cuz Sam's over there." Julie declared  
  
"No doubt." Adam answered "I just wish Griffon would leave her alone for five fucking seconds."  
  
"Banks did you just swear?" Guy looked at him shocked  
  
"Yeah." Adam said sheepishly looking at his hands  
  
"Griffon Montgomery is nothing but a minger." Cat grumbled and everyone laughed it was so funny to hear her British slang  
  
  
Later that day Dean stood in the hall outside of Samantha's room waiting for her to open it. Connie had volunteered to baby sit James Dean, so they would have the night alone. Not that they wouldn't be anyway, because no matter what the teachers says, a sack is not a baby. He knocked on the door one more time and when it opened Ryan was on the other side with a careworn look on his face. He pushed past Portman and started down the corridor.  
  
"What's the matter with him?" The curly haired hockey player inquired shutting the door.  
  
"I umm broke up with him." Samantha replied taking the project papers from her desk draw. The past few days she'd been thinking a lot about the unknown author and how much his words made her heart flutter.  
  
  
"Am I to old to be wishing on stars  
Because that's the only thing that heals my scars  
It gives me a glimmer of hope  
The one little daydream that helps me cope  
To get over the pain that love and life have brought  
If I wish on the stars then a chance I have got   
I close my eyes and make my request  
For the minuscule aspects that makes the teen existence the best  
They sparkle brightly in a sapphire sky  
As I softly beg them I try not to cry  
So tell me I'm to old to wish on stars  
But then remember my scars"  
  
Had arrived in the submission box that day and now more then ever she wanted to be with him. She felt she was betraying Ryan by staying with him so she had to end things. Not to mention the undeniable physical attraction she had to her husband, if he could show her he had a deep side she'd be certain he was the most perfect guy alive. After an hour of working on the project the work had all been put away, Portman was laying on the floor with Sam's pillows under his head and Samantha was laying with her head on his stomach and his feet on her bed. It was a comfortable position for both of them. If it wasn't for the dehydration that was starting to set in Portman wouldn't have moved for the world.  
  
"I'm gonna go get a soda, do you want one?"  
  
"Depends do I have to move?" Samantha questioned  
  
"You gotta move either way."  
  
Sam reluctantly got up and crawled up onto her bed as he left. Then something caught her eye. Portman had left his notebook on the floor and curiosity finally won her over. She leaned down and pulled to object into her lap, turning the pages with care. Finding the very poems she'd been reading for months there in Dean's familiar writing.   
  
"I didn't know what you wanted so I got you a…" The sound of Portman's voice made her jump the book falling from her lap.  
  
"You… you wrote them." Sam lifted her head and looked him in the eye  
  
"Yeah, it was me. Are you disappointed?"  
  
"Are you kidding?" The girl leapt up from her spot on the bed and threw her arms around his neck. "I got the best of both worlds."  
  
"What you mean?"  
  
"Well I have the sweet poet I always wanted and the most incredibly good looking guy in school rolled into one."  
  
"Can I kiss you Mrs. Portman?"  
  
"You better." Samantha got up on her tip toes so to reach the mouth of the Bash Brother. The kiss was everything Portman hoped it would be maybe more. 


	7. The Secrets Out

Samantha and Dean managed to keep their relationship very quiet for the next week, they both had obstacles to over come before they could confirm their romance to the rest of the school. The biggest of them all were they're friends. The Ducks still thought Sam was an ice bitch and Renee and Montana thought Portman was a brain dead jock.  
  
"So how are things with muscle brain?" Renee lowered herself into a seat across Samantha with an sophisticated demeanor  
  
"He's not a muscle brain Ren, knock it off okay. Dean's a really nice guy and he's smarter then you give him credit for." Sam retorted opened her can of soda  
  
"He'd have to be or else he wouldn't even be able to tie his shoes alone." Montana interjected  
  
Meanwhile at the hockey teams table just about the same thing was happening  
  
"So how's the project coming Portman, did Wyatt give you frost bite yet?" Charlie joked from his seat at the head of the table, which caused Carly to lean around Adam's back and smack Charlie in the arm  
  
"Hey, hey, hands off my boyfriend." Cat laughed  
  
"Oh come on Cat, I just can't help it. How could any girl be this close to Charlie and not touch him." Caroline giggled  
  
"Pardon me?" Banks raised his eye brows at her  
  
"Oh sorry Hun, forgot you were here."  
  
Dean smiled inwardly grateful to Carly for distracting the group from the Sam bashing. Every time one of his friends said something negative about her it was getting harder for him keep from punching them. She wasn't anything like what they said, she was a beautiful both inside and out. He caught her eye across the cafeteria and signaled her to meet him in the hallway.  
  
They cuddled cutely together in the corner of the hall next to the trophy case, Portman's arm around Samantha's waist, her head resting against his chest. He kissed the top of her head and she sighed happily. Everything was so right, Dean's cologne flooded her nostrils with it's hypnotizing scent, his strong arms encircled her tightly, she never thought she'd find a guy that embodied everything she'd ever dreamed of in a boy, especially not one like Dean Portman.  
  
"You know I was thinking, let's not tell 'em, I kinda like having you all to my self." Dean whispered his eyes twinkling like those of a child at Christmas  
  
"Well I dunno how long that'll last, I do intend on showing you off at some point." Sam grinned reaching up to put her arms around his neck  
  
At the same time back in the lunch room  
  
"Hey have any of you guys seen Portman, I think he's been avoiding me." Sierra's voice squeaked from where she stood behind Guy  
  
"Yeah he just went that way." Fulton pointed out of the room hoping to get the red headed cheerleader to leave as swiftly as possible  
  
"Thanks Fulton, you're very useful." She squawked before bounding away  
  
"She makes me sound like a back scratcher or something." Number 44 grumbled  
  
Back in the hall  
  
"Portman there you are, I've been looking for you all week." Sierra rounded the corner of the corridor to find him in a loving embrace of another  
  
"Sierra, umm you weren't suppose to find out like this." Dean's arms dropped to his side and Samantha reached for his hand   
  
"Find out what, that you're cheating on me with the class goody two shoes?"  
  
"Now Sierra we didn't mean for this to hurt you." Sam spoke up  
  
"Oh don't worry Wyatt, I'd be just as hurt if so other chick weaseled her way into my relationship with the one guy in the entire school that I want to be with."  
  
"Come on now Sierra." Portman tried gently to calm her  
  
"You do realize that, that thing for health was just a project right? Oh you know what I don't even care, you two can have each other. You're both scum in my book." And with that she stormed off. Dean and Sam both let out their breath, and relaxed a bit. There was one thing they didn't know about Sierra Morton though, she didn't get mad, she got even. 


	8. Party time

"Okay Sam spill." Carly whispered fiercely as the rest of the newspaper staff left the office.  
  
"Spill what Carly?" Samantha sighed tossing her reading glasses on the desk  
  
"You and Portman are together, don't try to deny it. I know that look in your eyes when you see him, that's the look I had when Adam and I first got together."  
  
"This is ludicrous, you know I don't date jocks."  
  
"Oh that's right, you only like boring guys like Ryan, that spend their Saturday nights learning origami or practicing yoga or something."  
  
"Look Carly," The Editor began "just because your prince charming road up on ice skates, wearing a Ducks jersey and wielding a hockey stick rather then a white horse, armor and a sword, doesn't mean mine ought to."  
  
"I know Sam, I'm just saying. Well if you're not into Portman, you should be. He's a great guy and he's been interested in you for ever. Adam said since freshmen year."  
  
"I dunno I'll think about it. I'm off, student council meeting in five minutes. With that Samantha breezed out of the room.  
  
"Hey gorgeous." The girl was picked up from behind and spun around  
  
"If that's not Dean, I'm in trouble." She giggled as a kiss was dropped on her neck  
  
"If I'm not Dean, I'm in trouble because that's what I've been writing on my school work for twelve years."  
  
"Shouldn't you be at practice Mr. Bash Brother." Samantha turned in his arms and smiled  
  
"I should, but you're so much prettier then Orion." His eyes sparkled  
  
"I'm not complaining. However I don plan on going to your game on Friday. I know you won't be able to play in you miss practice."  
  
"Oh, so how do you know that, Ms. I Hate Sports?" Portman squinted at her.  
  
"Carly, everything is Adam this and Adam that. I may know more about hockey from listening to her then you do as a player." Sam laughed and tossed her long dark hair over her shoulder  
  
"Leave it to Banks to fall for the only nut job in the entire school."  
  
"Excuse you, Caroline Epson is my best friend, she is not a nut, she's a loon."  
  
"Right." The boy nodded "So why are you coming to the game, you hate all athletics."  
  
"My husband plays, I figured I might as well see one game."  
  
"Well then, I best be getting to the rink." He kissed her cheek "See you at dinner."  
  
FRIDAY  
  
"Portman!" A high squeaky voice came from the end of the hallway  
  
"Ugh." The boy groaned and shuttered before turning around "What's up Sierra, I gotta get to the rink, so could you make it quick?"  
  
"There's no need to get testy silly. I just wanted to tell you even though we've broken up there's no need for us to stop being friends. Don't you agree?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess so." Dean looked at her skeptically  
  
"Good, now as the head cheerleader and your friend, I'd like to hold a victory party at my house tonight, for when you guys win. Oh and Samantha's invited too of course." By then the two had given up on trying to keep their relationship a secret and everyone knew about Sam breaking her 'jock athletes' rule, not just Sierra "So spread the word to your team and I'll make sure it's around to the rest of the student body, talk to you later." And the cheerleader bounded back off down the hall.  
  
"The Ducks are up 3-1 with thirty seconds left in the third period. The games pretty much over folks." Josh announced over the loud speaker "There's the buzzer Eden Hall wins!"  
  
"So what did you think of you first hockey game?" Emily asked politely. She and Sam didn't really click well, Em being an athlete and pretty immature at times and Sam being Sam.  
  
"Well, I guess it wasn't that bad." Samantha noted tightening her scarf  
  
"They're not all that entertaining, if Charlie wasn't captain, I'd skip and stay in the dorms to watch MTV." Cat stated with a yawn  
  
"I'm the only one that watches them out of interest." Delilah laughed as the five girls stood up and headed down the bleachers.  
  
SIERRA'S PARTY  
  
Sierra screwed the cap back on the bottle and picked up the glass of punch. She walked through the kitchen, dining room, sitting room and living room in search Samantha. Her huge house was full of students, some she wasn't even sure went to Eden Hall, but it was all in fun. Finally she found her rival standing on the patio with Portman and the rest of his team and their girlfriends.  
  
"Here Sam, I got you another punch." The redhead extended her arm and offered the drink, it was the third or forth beverage she'd brought the girl.  
  
"Another one?" Sam raised her eye brows "Why do you keep bringing me drinks Sierra?"  
  
"Well gosh Sam, I was just trying to me friendly, you know let bygones be bygones. But hey if you don't want it." When in doubt go to guilt  
  
"No, thanks, it's nice of you." Sam forced a smile and chugged down the contents of the glass. 


	9. Betrayal

"This is the most fun I have ever had!" Samantha squealed hopping up onto Sierra's pool table, in an awkward stumbling movement. Once atop of the billiard table she broke into a rather off key version of Aaron Carter's 'Aaron's Party'.  
  
"Everyone together sing it loud, Come get it. Jump all around, Come get it. What? Come get it. Say it again, Come get it. People all round, ya got to, Come get it. From the left to the right make noise, Come get it."  
  
Portman stood off to the side watching as his girlfriend made a fool of herself in front of everyone. Knowing full well that wasn't the level headed girl he'd been crazy over since freshmen year.  
  
"What's gotten into her?" Carly asked Dean as she walked up beside him with Adam close in tow.  
  
"I have no f-ing clue." Portman answered shaking his head.  
  
"Come on guys, loosen up, enjoy yourselves!" Sam yelled doing a cartwheel across the table and narrowly missed falling off the end. "Whoa, that was close. Dean, get me down."  
  
Portman sprinted over and wrapped his arms around her waist, hoisting her off the pool tale and depositing her onto the floor.  
  
"Are you feelin' okay babe?" He whispered still holding tightly to her hips.  
  
"Of course, I've never felt better Hun." Samantha replied twirling around in a circle.  
  
"Sam what's with you?" Carly looked over her best friend worriedly.  
  
"Nothing's with me, can't I have a little fun? I mean geeze, everyone's always complaining about how much of a straight edge I am. Now, Dean my love, dance with me." She tugged on her boyfriend's hand, but he didn't budge.  
  
"Samantha stop!" Portman chide "I think you need to lay down."  
  
"I don't want to lay down." Sam declared jerking away from Dean and Carly, losing her balance in the process and nearly toppling over.  
  
"Jesus Sam." Caroline reached out and caught her best friends shoulder to steady her.   
  
Suddenly Samantha's stomach began to feel sour and her head started to spin. Before she knew it, the grayish recreation-room carpet seemed to be moving beneath her and her knees felt week.  
  
"I need to lay down." Her hand came up to her forehead and she shut her eyes tightly.  
  
"Okay, Carly can you let the rest of the group know I took Sam home?" The tall enforcer picked up his delicate, writer, girlfriend.  
  
"Hey Portman, where are you going?" Sierra appeared in the foyer as Dean reached the door.  
  
"Oh, Sierra hey, um Sam's not feelin' good, I'm gonna bring her back to the dorms to lay down." Portman answered   
  
"You're leaving? Oh don't leave, I'm hosting this party for you." The cheerleader wined.  
  
"I've got to bring her home Sierra, I'm sorry. But I think she may be a little hammered."  
  
"I just knew someone was going to ruin this get together by spiking the punch. Well, oooh, I have an idea, why don't we set her up in one of my guest rooms? That way she can rest and you can stay and have a good time." The redhead suggested.  
  
"I dunno."  
  
"Do it Dean, I don't want to ruin your fun, besides I'll probably feel better in a few minutes, I wouldn't want to waste the night." Samantha instructed him weakly  
  
"Okay baby."  
  
"Fantastic!" Sierra squeaked "This way."  
  
Once Sam was tucked in comfortably, in a beautiful, lacey, white daybed, Sierra and her object of desire returned to the party. At the foot if the steps, the girl tossed her scarlet tresses over her shoulder, an act that caught Ryan Snow's eye. As Sierra tugged Portman off toward the balcony, Ryan climbed the spiral staircase.  
  
By the time Portman was ready to leave it was well after 1:00 AM and most of the team had already left. Only Fulton, Carly and Adam lingered with him, only to try to help think of a way to sneak the drunken newspaper editor back into her room without being caught. Curfew wasn't sternly enforced on the weekends, but campus insobriety was strictly prohibited.  
  
"We better get goin', I'm gonna go up and get Sam." Portman stated to his three friends.  
  
"Ugh, I'll go with you, she's a real night mare to wake up." Caroline volunteered following him up to the guest room.  
  
Moments later a yell came that nearly shook the house, sounding more like the roar of an angry lion.  
  
"What the fuck!" followed by a thud  
  
"Jesus, Adam, Fulton get up here!" Carly exclaimed leaned over the banister  
  
She returned to the room to find Portman holding Ryan by his neck against the wall and Samantha struggling back into her shirt.  
  
"Dean put him down, you're going to hurt him." Sam ordered from the bed, but went unheeded.  
  
"What the hells going on in here?" Adam panted, exhausted from his sprint up the stairs.  
  
"Portman, what are ya doin' dude?" Fulton asked pulling his best friend away from the noticeably smaller art student and activist.  
  
"I came up here to wake up Sam and found this prick half naked in bed with her. I bet that makes you feel like a real man don't it Snow? Taking advantage of a plastered girl. Getting all your jollies while she to smashed to stop you."  
  
"Portman," Carly started "I've been friends Ryan since last year and I've never known him to be the type of guy to take advantage for a while  
  
"Look Dean, I don't know what you talking about. I'm not the aggressor here, I just came up to go to the bathroom and Samantha there, stopped me in the hallway. She was coming on to me, she said she wanted to get back together. I just went along with it." Ryan said in his own defense.  
  
"You're lying!" The hockey player accused "He's lying isn't he Sam?"  
  
"I…I…I…I don't know." Samantha's stuttering answer ripped Portman's heart out.  
  
"Oh." Was all he said after that, before fleeing form Sierra's house, leaving Carly and Adam to bring a shaken Samantha Wyatt home. 


	10. Let's talk

Portman was sitting in his dorm room tapping his pen on his desk in rhythm with the music that was paying on his radio. Normally at times when he was lost in depression, anger or any other deep emotion, he'd write a poem. But that day he was struggling, somehow he couldn't find words that rhyme with treacherous bitch. In all his life he'd never had such animosity for someone, not even Rick Riley had ever made him as irate and hostile as he was with Samantha.  
  
A sudden knock on the door caused him to lose concentration on his pen tapping pattern. It couldn't be any of the Ducks, it was Fulton's room so he wouldn't knock and the rest of the team just barged into each others rooms anyway. Well everyone's room other then Connie and Julie's, they learned the hard way after Guy burst in to talk to Connie and found Jules standing in her bra and panties.  
  
So he got up against his better judgment, something inside of him told him not to open the door, but he was welcoming a distraction from him unhappiness. However as the door squeaked on it's unoiled hinges and opened to reveal the guest, he realized he never should've gone against the inner warning.  
  
"What do you want Sam?" He grumbled, seeing the dark haired beauty standing in the hall, hand poised to knock again.  
  
She stepped back a half of afoot and cleared her throat nervously.  
"We have to talk."  
  
Portman shook his head  
"I have nothing to say to you." He declared trying to close the door on her face.  
  
"Then you can listen, I'll talk." Samantha stuck out her hand and stopped the door from fully closing.  
  
"Whatever." Dean walked away from the door, leaving Sam to open it and follow him in.  
  
Samantha sat at the edge of his bed, in an agonizingly long and uncomfortable silence. Portman kept his back to her, sitting in his desk chair, doing his best to ignore her presence.  
  
"Dean…" She began.  
  
"Portman." He cut her off without turning around.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Nobody calls me Dean, the only reason I let you is because of how I felt about you. But you went and screwed that up, so it's Portman."  
  
"Why are you being so difficult, why can't you just try to understand?"  
  
"Understand? I understand perfectly, I understand that the girl I've been in love with since Freshmen year, a girl that I've been defending to and taking slack from my friends for those three years, got drunk and cheated on me. That our relationship didn't mean enough to her, that she wouldn't sleep with someone else. Sam you're not the same person I fell in love with, or maybe you are and I just never realized the type of person you really are. Hell you know what they say 'There are none so blind as those that refuse to see.', I guess I just refused to see you for what you really are."  
  
"We don't even know what happened that night, all we have to go on is Ryan's word."  
  
"That's enough for me."  
  
Tears began to trickle down Samantha's cheeks, her green eyes filling like a well.  
"Please don't do this." She pleaded.  
  
"Please leave," Dean still hadn't turned around, by this point his voice was low, quiet. Almost more pained then angry was his tone. "just go."  
  
Samantha pushed herself off the bed, it was clear she was getting nowhere with him, that maybe it was too soon or too late to work things out. Yet she hesitated at the door, she turned and took one last look at his back before leave the room.  
  
As Sam's footsteps disappeared down the hall Portman's shoulders began to shake and his breath quivered. Before he knew it he was a 6'2 mass of teary, weepy, muscles. Twenty minutes later the door opened again, Fulton had just finished his shift at Target and wanted to change out of uniform before meeting his girlfriend Sherry for a pizza.  
  
"What's goin' on dude?" Fulton asked as he crossed the threshold.  
  
Portman gulped and swallowed his tears, he drew one last shaky breath to calm himself before saying.  
"Not much dude. How was work?"  
  
"It was work. Are you cryin'?"  
  
"Cryin', me? Come on, you know me better then that."  
  
"Portman, what's up?"  
  
"You guys were right that's all, Sam's selfish, just like you all kept telling me."  
  
"Hey, I was suppose to go out with Sherry for a slice, but I'll call her and stay here with ya."  
  
"Nah, go, you've still got a girlfriend. Have a good time."  
  
Once he was alone again Portman finally had the inspiration for his poem.  
  
I must have made the worlds biggest mistake  
I thought this was a love to cause the Earth to shake  
My friends all warned me, said not to fall  
But stubborn, stupid me ignored them all  
To get you I would've crossed the sea  
Believed that once I had you, you'd belong to me   
Nothing works out the way it should  
Nothing can ever be that perfect or good  
So what we had is lost now  
I want to save it but I don't know how  
It's too late, it's over it's gone  
But while it lasted, you were the one 


	11. Sam's heartach

Samantha sat at her desk in the house paper office staring into space. She had always been level headed, she'd never let herself get into a situation like the one she was in before. She didn't drink, didn't party and most of all didn't fall in love. And yet there she was, trapped in this bubble of confusion and anguish, knowing that if she had just refused those drinks, or let Portman take her home when he wanted too, she'd have been spending that afternoon at the away game with him, rather then alone in the office. She'd just finished her own poem and now she debating sending it to Portman, or using it to line the cage of her parrot.  
  
'You left me that day  
Now my world is gray  
Tears fall like rain  
Heart full of pain  
Lost in my sorrow  
Today and tomorrow  
I miss you now  
I'm dreaming of how  
You'll return to me  
We're meant to be  
I love you so  
Just can't let go  
Stay on track  
Come on back  
Into my arms  
With smiles and charm  
Forgive me please  
I need you Dean'  
Carly slid her key in the office door and unlocked the knob, she pushed it open and found her editor sitting at her desk looking lost.  
"I went over to Goldberg's deli and got you a sandwich and a pickle, since you didn't come to lunch."  
  
"Did Dean even notice?" Sam continued to focus on this one spot on the wall that looked like the paint was pealing off.  
  
"I dunno, but you know he doesn't really talk to much to me." Caroline pulled out a chair and pushed it over toward her friend.  
  
"Do think Mrs. Potter will fail me when she finds out our project ended in divorce? Speaking of which, did you notice if he had my baby?"  
  
"Um… yeah actually he did, he had it dressed in a Led Zepplin tee shirt."  
  
"He doesn't love me anymore, Carly." Samantha's voice cracked as tears started to trickle down her cheeks.  
  
"Sam, I'm sure that's not true. Portman's been into you since Freshmen year. He's just upset. Her feels betrayed, but I'm sure if you just give him sometime Sam things will work themselves out."  
  
"No Carly, it's over. I finally found the perfect mix of brain, brawn and beauty and I messed it all up. I haven't got a poem in the box since that day, not even an angry one, nothing. I just don't understand him, why won't he listen to me?"  
  
Carly bit her bottom lip, she had no idea what to say, no clue how to ease her friends pain. None of the rest of the gang had ever had trouble in their relationships really. It seemed like Emily and Luis, Cat and Charlie and Delilah and Luke were the pillar of opposites attract, but Sam and Portman seemed to dispute that old saying. They just didn't mesh well were like metal and electricity, oil and water, chocolate and anchovies.  
  
"Sam I think you guys are just too different to understand each other. Think of it this way, what do you get if you next fire and ice?"  
  
"Steam." Samantha replied.  
  
Carly mentally kicked herself, bad example.  
"No, a puddle."  
  
"Funny. Look Carly, I know you're trying to help, but I really just want to alone. I know there's a game today and Adam will expect you there, you should go."  
  
Caroline stood up and nodded, she could tell from the look on Sam's face there was going to be no arguing. Being the editor had made Sam use to getting things her own way and she could be unbelievably stubborn. So Carly forced a smile, gave the other girl a sympathetic hug and left.  
  
She was walking through the student parking lot on the way to her car to drive to Blake for the game, when a white Dodge Ram almost hit her. The driver slammed on the breaks and stopped inches from colliding with her.   
  
"Damn it, I'm sorry Carly, I didn't even see you there, I was looking in the glove box for my glasses." A familiar voice apologized.  
  
Carly walked over to the truck's driver side window, to see Portman behind the wheel.  
"Portman hey, don't worry about it. I didn't know you wear glasses."  
  
"Just to drive. Well I've gotta get over to Blake or I'll be late and the coach will blow a gasket."  
  
"Yeah, do me a favor and let Adam know I'm on my way."  
  
"Sure." Dean started the engine again.  
  
"Wait!" Carly called out. "Before you go, I need to ask you something."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Actually it's more of a statement, Sam is unfathomably upset about everything that's going on, I think you talk to herm let her know there's some hope."  
  
"I can't do that."  
  
"So you don't want to work things out with her?"  
  
"I didn't say that." Portman shook his head.  
  
"So you do wanna fix things?" Caroline looked at him confused.  
  
"I didn't say that either."  
  
"Why do you have to be to difficult?"  
  
"It's just my nature. Look Carly I know you're just trying to help, but don't. Sam and I are old enough to deal with our own problems. Now I gotta go." With that the Bash Brother drove off and Carly felt useless. 


	12. One dark night

"Yes, great game guys, one more win and the Ducks are the mightiest in the state again!" Charlie congratulated his team as they changed after the game.  
  
"Yeah, no thanks to Portman." Averman grumbled, then quickly hid in a locker to avoid the Bash Brother's wrath.  
  
"What was that you little leprechaun?" Portman's nostrils flared as he pounded on the locker door.  
  
"He's right dude." Fulton began "You spent half the game in the box and the other half on the bench trying to get Orion to put you in."  
  
"So you're against me now too Reed!" Portman spat like venom.  
  
"No one is against you Porman." Julie spoke up tenderly. "Are you feeling okay?"  
  
"I need outa here." Was the boy's response as he stormed out, still wearing his skates.  
  
The parking lot was dark, with a cold night breeze that chilled the still sweat soaked teen. His anger toward Samantha, Ryan and himself had tale such control of him, he'd been taking it out on everyone from the opposing team to the rest of the Ducks. For the past tree years he'd mainly been able to keep his attitude in check, even on the ice, but since everything happened with Sam, he didn't care. He knew that a team that didn't get along couldn't win and not winning could cost them their scholarships, but at the time it didn't matter to him if he was thrown out of school. Without Sam there just seemed to be no reason to go on with this stuffy, up tight education.  
  
"Hey hot stuff, do you need a ride?" A red Mitsubishi Eclipse pulled up along side him, the automatic window rolling down.  
  
Portman shook his head at the driver then went back to straining his eyes and neck to find his own set of wheels.  
"No thanks Sierra, my truck is here, some where."  
  
"Well if you don't need any help, then I guess I'll just be on my way. See ya later Portman."  
  
As the girl put the small car into gear and was about to pull off out of the lot, the tall dark enforcer called her name.  
"Sierra wait, wanna go for a ride?"  
  
"Of course!" The girl beamed leaning over to open the passenger side door. "Get in."  
  
As they drove off into the night Portman didn't know what was going to happen, but he knew it wouldn't be something good. But then nothing that had happened in the past few weeks had been good, this would just be the icing on the many layered cake.  
  
Sierra parked the car at the point and turned the engine off. The stars were beautiful like flawless diamonds against the navy ribbon of a sky. It was a perfect setting for a romantic lovers rendezvous. It was the kind of scene one would expect to read about in a novel, or see on an old time movie. As Portman leaned over and pressed his lips to Sierra's another poem sprang to mind.  
  
'Take away my pain, drown it in a kiss  
Hiding my emotions, with our fervent tryst  
Fill this empty hole, gaping in my heart  
Hold me close, don't let go, I'm falling apart  
Run your fingers through my hair  
Gently touch my body like you care  
Let's look deeply into each other eyes  
And make unbridled love until sunrise'  
  
"Come back to my room?" Dean murmured against her mouth.  
  
The next thing they knew the two were back in his dorm, with the door locked and a note tacked to the front telling Fulton to find a different place to sleep. Soon they were hot and gasping as the night hours began to fade.  
  
Sam woke up the next morning to the sound of someone tapping at her door. It was only 5:30 on a Saturday no less, anyone that wasn't tucked snugly in their bed at that hour was mental. She stumbled from her bed and staggered to the door in a prenoon fog. On the other side, in the hall stood Ryan Snow with a sobering expression.  
  
"We need to talk." He whispered and Samantha stepped aside to let him in.  
  
The pretty Editor wandered over to her bed and sat crossed legged on it. as the boy pulled out her desk chair.  
"What did you have to tell me before 6:00 AM.?"  
  
"It's about that night at the party Sam..."  
  
"Look Ryan," She cut him off "I know I may have given you the wrong impression that night and this may hurt, but we're not getting back together. I'm in love with Dean, everything that happened at Sierra's was just a drunken mistake."  
  
"Are you finished?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Good, now let me talk. Sam, nothing happened at all."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Samantha looked at him as if he had grown an extra head.  
  
Ryan sighed and rubbed his eyes.  
"Sierra gave me a hundred and fifty dollars to pretend like I slept with you. She convinced me that if you and Portman broke up, I'd be able to get you back. She spiked your drink, she gave me the key to unlock the door and get into the room you were in, she set everything up. I followed along with it, you've got to understand how sorry I am Samantha, I didn't want to hurt you, I just couldn't face losing you."  
  
"Are you serious?"  
  
"As a heart attack."  
  
"I'll deal with you later then. I've gotta go talk to Dean." The girl declared and sprinted out of her room, still dressed in her PJs.  
  
At Portman's door she took a deep breath, ignoring the note that had been feverishly written to Fulton the night before and knocked.....  
~* I've got a new addiction to cliffhangers. Guess you'll have to wait until the next installment to find out what happens.*~ 


	13. I miss the way

After what seemed like hours of impatient waiting, Sam heard Portman's voice on the other side.  
  
"This better be important." He snarled swinging the door on it's hinges.  
  
Portman was standing in the doorway with a sheet wrapped around his waist and his chest was bare. Samantha didn't even asked why he was dressed that way before leaping at him, closing her legs around his hips and arms around his neck. She kissed his cheek and clung to him like she'd never let go. Portman struggled to keep his sheet from falling, while holding onto the girl.  
  
"Sam, what are you doing?"  
  
"I didn't sleep with Ryan!" She exclaimed, moving her head so she could look him in the eye  
  
Portman put her down swiftly but gently .  
"Since when?"  
  
"Since this morning when Ryan came to my room and told me what really happened. Sierra set me up Dean, she spiked my drink, she gave Ryan the key and she convinced him that if you and u broke up, he could win me back."  
  
"Why in the Hell would she do that?"  
  
"To have you all to myself." A voice explained, as Samantha turned around she found Sierra's head protruding from the bathroom.  
  
"What?" Dean shook his head confused.  
  
"It was simple sweetie, you see I'm very competitive, I hate to lose. That's why I never do it, I wasn't about to start by losing you to a goody two shoes like Samantha over there." Sierra stepped out of the bathroom in Portman's practice jersey, a black thong evident through the holy material. "Obviously I got what I wanted and we both know you got what wanted three times last night. So all that's left is why is she still here?"  
  
Samantha felt her stomach twist.  
"What does she mean, Dean what is she talking about?"  
  
"Gee and I'm suppose to be the ditzy one. Come on Sam, you're smart."  
  
"Don't you have anything to say?" The dark haired girl looked over at the boy with a crushed expression.   
  
Portman had a list of things he could say, there was tons of things he wanted to say, but nothing came out. When he opened his mouth there was nothing. As tears started to trickle down Samantha's cheeks he tried to go to her, but his legs failed him, he couldn't move. It was as if he was outside of his own body, watching everything that was happening without the power to effect the outcome. The more he tried the more powerless he felt.  
"I see, well that's what I get for falling for a jock. They always say go with your first instinct. Have a good life, I hope you two are very happy together." Sam spun her heels and gone from the building before the door even closed.  
Portman stared after her still glued to the floor, his mouth still not working. What had just happened? After all the wanting he'd gone through, those years of hoping Sam would notice him, had he just let her walk out of his room? Worst of all had he thrown it all anyway for one night of emotionless sex this someone he couldn't stand? Swallowing the lump in his throat he hand Sierra her clothes and forced her back into the bathroom to get dressed. He couldn't even stand the sight of the pretty redhead, he just wanted her out of his room.  
  
In class that day Samantha handed in their project, written in her elaborate handwriting. When the teacher asked of her experience during the time she'd worked with Portman she told the class.  
"My husband is an adulterer so please don't base your decisions on if we're to young to get married on my project. But please do void all the mention of our perfect relationship in the report, I didn't have time to rewrite it." She shot Dean an icy glare and sat back down. She was for real, she could never forgive herself for breaking her no athletes vow and more over she would never forgive Portman for trapping her the way he had.  
Three days later Carly walked into the newspaper office with an article in one hand and a poem in the other.  
"Here's the interview with Connie and Julie on being girls in a men's sport and it seems the unknown author is back in business."  
  
"So did you get enough questions for the half of a page layout I had set for the interview?" Sam took the paper in Carly's left hand, ignoring the poem.  
  
"I think so. Are you going to take this?" Carly waved the other paper at her.  
  
"No." Her friend answered shortly.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because I have no interest in whatever dribble, that brainless jock has written down on that poor piece of paper."  
  
"You used to think that brainless jock was the love of your life."  
  
"That was before he cheated on me, it's a very simple thing, you cheat on me, I'm done with you."  
  
"If you say so Sam, but I know if it were Adam and I, it would be hard for me to just give up like that. I've gotta get to their practice, I'll see you later." Carly dropped Portman's poem on Sam's desk and left the office.  
  
The rest of the staff was nowhere in sight since it wasn't an official meeting day so all finished assignments could be dropped in the box on the door. It was boring, quiet and lonely, Samantha however wasn't really in the mood for company anyway. She knew if she went back to her room, she'd just wind up getting frustrated as the girls that roomed next to her blared their radio. Or she'd fall asleep from mental exhaustion like she had for the past two days. That however would be like admitting she was lost without him. Settling down at her desk she looked around at the unusually disorganized papers in front of her. Nothing was ever that scattered and out of whack on her desk. With a sigh she started picking things up and putting them where they go, as she lifted a manila folder off the top Dean's poem fell onto her lap. Against her best judgment she reluctantly began to read it.  
  
'I miss the way you look at me when I'm acting out of line  
I miss the way you smile at me when I read you mind  
I miss the way you fit in my arms when I hold you tight  
I miss the way you kiss my cheek when we say good night  
I miss the way you call my name when you see me in the hall  
And hurts to see you don't miss me at all  
I miss the way look when having a rough a day  
I miss the way you shake your head when I want to play  
I miss the way you hold my hand when we're sitting close  
I miss the way you smell when you perfume hits my nose  
I miss the way you always seem to worry  
And I can't stand that fact you won't let me say I'm sorry'  
  
Getting up from her chair Sam crinkled the paper up into a little ball and chucked it into the trash barrel. For a girl that hates sports she could've played basketball. As sweet as the poem sounded it was just words and actions speak louder then words. Then added to the fact Dean was about to forgive her when he THOUGHT she slept with Ryan, she definitely wasn't going the let the fact he honestly boinked Sierra go. It was over. 


	14. The End

Samantha walked gloomily down the hall of school with her notebooks in her arms. Her normally porcelain skin was blotchy and her long dark hair was in a messy bun. She just hadn't felt like putting any effort into her appearance lately. Subconsciously it was because she was trying to avoid getting any attention from a guy. If one was to fall for her, she may fall back and it would only lead to pain.  
  
A she approached her locker she noticed a not taped to the front and rolled her eyes. Portman hadn't been able to get to her through the newspaper, now he was trying another tactic and a tacky one at that. The girl shook her head and yanked the note off her locker and dropped it to the ground, making sure to step on it. As she swung the locker door open however, something fell out at her. Something small and silver, something that had been very important to Dean. Leaning down she picked up both the gift and the letter.  
  
"Sam,  
  
No words can express what I'm feeling right now, I'm sure a lot can express how you're feeling. I wanted to do something to make you realize how much I really love you, I guess my poems weren't doing the trick this time. So I'm giving you my grandfather's pen, you know how special it is to me, I won't even left Fulton touch it, but I want you to have it. If it doesn't tell you how much you mean to me, at the very least you'll have a nice pen to write with when you win your Pulitzer.  
  
I love you Samantha Wyatt, I always have, I think you're the only person in school that didn't know. I guess from now on the brief time I had you will be the best time of my life, the only time I've ever been truly happy. I know saying everything that happened with Sierra was a mistake would just seem like an excuse, so I won't say it. I know you're to smart to fall for some lame explanation, so I'm not going to you one.   
  
I just want to tell you, I'm not whole without you. Everything good that's ever been in me is due to you, even when you didn't know it. All the sensitive sweet writing that has ever flowed from the bottom of my pen, you've inspired. You made me a better person, I just want to say thank you.  
  
I've got a game tonight and I don't expect you there, I just wish you would be. At the risk of sounding like that Drew Barymore from that 'Never Been Kissed' movie, I want to beg you to forgive me and be there. I'll look for you, I'll wait for you and I'll never stop loving you.  
  
Yours Always,  
Dean"  
Portman tossed his gear bag over his shoulder and slammed his locker shut. He heard a familiar pattern of footsteps coming up the hall behind him and turned. Sam simply looked at him and continued on her way. It was hard to tell from her face what she was thinking and he couldn't decide if that was a good thing.  
  
"Do you think she'll show?" Fulton asked leaning on his best friends shoulder.  
  
Portman shook his head.  
"I dunno. Come on though, we've gotta get to practice."  
  
Samantha sat on her bed rolling Portman's pen back in forth in her hands. The metal was smooth and the sound it made as clinked against her ring was soothing. She wanted to keep it, just keep the pen as some sort of a cheesy consolation prize. After all he put her through, she deserved at least that.  
  
All he put her through, what had he put her through? He broke up with her when he thought she cheated on him and slept with another girl while they were broken up. Did she really have the right to be upset? It wasn't like they were together at the time, technically they were separated. What could she do?  
  
After Russ sunk the last goal and the Ducks one, the seats emptied like usual as fans flooded the ice. Everyone was being pulled into their traditional congratulatory hugs. It seemed to be a custom, but not one Portman enjoyed. He wasn't one for being touched, especially by strangers and affection he only showed to very few people. As the ice cleared and the fans began to leave, he sighed. There was Sam in sight, she hadn't showed.  
  
Forlorn the boy changed into his street clothes and walked out of the locker room. As he left the rink her heard his being called. Before he got the chance to say 'what?' something was flung at his head. With lightening quick reflexes he plucked it out of the air. It was his pen.  
  
"If I don't keep the pen, do I get to keep you?" Samantha queried stepping out from the side of the building.  
  
Portman dropped his bag and ran at her, picking her up by the waist. Rather then answering he kissed her firmly on the mouth. The poet among the ducks had emerged and claimed the brainy beauty he had always desired. Later that night he snuck to the girl's dorm and slipped one last poem under Samantha's door.  
  
'To have you back I would've give it all  
I promise to answer every time you call  
Now you've returned to my side  
And the joy I'm feeling, I can't hide  
We're back together, let's stay this way  
Hold each other, forever and a day  
I'll never, ever let you go again  
My love for you will never end'  
  
THE END 


End file.
